Coin-dispensing device



,0. JAEGER.

O'OIN DISPENSING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-20. 1917.

Patented June 1, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

0. IAEGER.

COIN DISPENSING DEVICE. AIPPLIICATION FILED DEC.20, 1917.

Patented June 1, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

aifiorney;

Int/enfor- OTTO JAEGER, OF ELKINS PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HARRYBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. i

Specification of Letters Patent.

s. KELSEY, or

Patented June 1, 19 20.

Application filed December ZO, 1917. 7 Serial No. 208,034.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Orro JAEGER, a c1t1- Zen of the United States, and aresident of Elkins Park, county of Montgomery, and

State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Goin- Dispensing Devices, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact disclosure, reference being had to. the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for receiving anddispensing coins and the like.

My invention has for its objects to improve the construction and enlargethe functions of a'coin-controlled'dispensing device, wherein iscomprised the usual gravity chute, by the provision of certain elementsin a novel combinationand relation wherein the coin in its gravitypassage will first operatively contact with a pivoted arm,spring-actuated in one direction and normally interposed in the chutepassage and which is adapted to be moved out of such normal position bygravity pressure of the coin, and by such coin-contact and its return tonormal position opens and closes, respectively, an electric circuitactuating a signal light, the said pivoted member, by the same movementout of normal position, operating also to release the coin and deliverit to a second pivoted member also normally interposed in the chutepassage and operating to receive the coin and arrest the further andfinal discharge thereof" through the chute, such second member beingoperable manually for the performance of that function; and my inventionconsists of the combination of said elements in the recited relation andhaving the mode of operation stated and performing the functions stated;also in the combination therewith of a second coin-receiver, theonlynovel feature 1n which aside from the SPGClfiC' means to dischargethe coins therefrom, resides in the combination with the first mentionedcoin-controlled device, by means of the connecting manually operabledischarging member thereof, which is so combined with both receivers asto be structurally common to both whereby it performs the" function ofdischarging coins from both devices simultaneously; also in thecombination with the firststated mechanisms, of an electric circuit, a'signal light operated porarily held by the arresting-device stated,

until dischargedby the manually actuated mechanism common to bothreceivers which operates to:simultaneously.discharge a con-a respondingcheck or token'from the second receiverv to the customer for use inobtainingthe article desired, at the valuation of the coin or coinsdeposited-by him.

lVith the above and related objects in view, my inventeddeviceconsistsof the elements and the combinations of them herein after described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrate ing my invention: 7 V p Figure1 is a side view, partly in section, of a coin dispensing deviceembodying my. invention.

Fig. 2'is aihorizontal section thereof, on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. I V

Fig. 3 is a vertical section, on line 3-3 of Fig. 4 is a rear view ofthe device.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of one of the coin receivers and adjuncts,including the electric circuit and si nal shown diagram Inatically. l

Referring to the drawings, ldesignates a supporting frame or casingwhich may be of any shape and size for its intended purpose.

The frame 4 includes a front wall 5 and a rear Wall 6, and, extending"between these walls, is the upper inclined portion 7 of a coin receiver8 which penetrates the rear wall'6 andterminates in a vertical portionQwhich extends downwardly from the lower end of the inclined portion 7,as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The lower end of the vertical portion 9discharges into a boX or receptacle 10 for the coins dispensed from thereceiver 8. The upper end of the inclined portion .7 communicates with aslot 11 formed in the front wall 5 and through which coins may beinserted into the top of the receiver 8. One side wall of the receiver 8has a longitudinal slot or opening 12 therein through which the coinswithin the receiver may be seen; and the construction 7 of the receiver8, in cross section, is such that the coins passing therethrough cannotbe removed therefrom, to insure their passage through the receiver andinto the box 10.

Pivoted, at 13, on a projection on the receiver 8 is a verticallyextending lever mem ber 14 having a projection 15 on its lower end whichenters the lower portion of the vertical part 9 of the receiver 8through an opening in the side wall thereof. Vhen the member 14 is inthe normal position shown in Fig. 1, the projection 15 is adapted tosupport a coin or coins within the receiver 8 and prevent their descenttherethrough and discharge into the box 10. lVhen the upper end of themember 14 is moved toward the frame 4, the projection 15 is withdrawnfrom its coin supporting position in the reciver 8 to permit the coin orcoins supported thereby to descend. The member 14 is provided with aspring 16 which bears against the receiver 8 and holds the member 14normally in the position shown in Fig. 1 and against the action of whichthe member 14 may be moved by hand, to the position shown bydot-and-dash lines in Fig. 5, to discharge the coins supported thereby.After the member 14 has been thus moved to discharge the coins, and thehand pressure is removed from-the member, the spring 16 willautomatically return the member 14 to the normal or coin supportingposition. The upper arm of the member 14 is provided with a suitablehandle or button 17 for engagement by the handwhen operated.

Pivoted on a pin 18 on a bracket 19 on the frame wall 6 is a spring part20 which is formed of wire and coiled around the pin 18,

as clearly shown in Fig. 3. One end of the coiled portion of the part 20terminates in an upwardly extending arm 21, and the other end of thecoiled portion terminates in a downwardly extending arm 22. The arm 22is shaped as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, and it extends normally throughopenings in the frame wall 6 and the adjacent wall of the receiver 8 andinto the coin path in the receiver just above the projection 15 on themember 14, as shown by full lines in Fig. 5, for a purpose presentlyexplained. The arm 21 of the member 20 carries a block of insulatingmaterial 23 having a contact plate or member 24 secured to one sidethereof. The edge of the plate 24 is adapted to make electrical contactwith a part or member 25 which is connected to one terminal of anelectrical signaling device 26 supported on the wall 6. When the part 20is in the normal position, shown by full lines in Fig. 5,

the arm 22 extends into the coin path in the receiver 8, and the plate24 is out of contact with the member 25. Vhen, however, a coin isinserted into the slot 11 and passes down through the receiver 8 to theprojection 15 on the member 14, the coin 27, just before reaching theprojection 15, engages the arm 22 and moves it outwardly from the coinpath, and thereby moves the plate or member 24 into contact with themember 25. The relation between the contact members 24 and 25 is suchthat the member 24 will engage the member 25 before the coin actingagainst the arm 22 reaches the projection 15, and the relation of thearm 22 to the coin path is such that, as the coin completes its descentto the projection 15, the spring part 20 will yield and thereby firmlypress the contact plate or member 24 against the contact member 25 andhold it there while the coin 27 rests upon the projection 15.

Soldered or otherwise electrically connected to the contact plate 24 isone end of a helical spring 28, the other end of which is 90 soldered orotherwise electrically connected to a pin 29 which is supported betweentwo insulating plates 30 secured to a bracket 31 on the frame wall 6.The spring 28 holds the part 20 normally in the full line position,shown in Fig. 5; and, when a coin descends to the projection 15, thecoin moves the part 20 to the dot-and-dash line position against theaction of the spring 28. Vhen, thereafter, the member 14 is operated tore- 10 lease the coin, the coin will descend from the arm 22 and permitthe spring 28 to auto matically return the part 20 to the full line ornormal position and tlius move the contact member 24 from the member 25.

The signaling device 26, preferably an electric lamp, is included in anormally open electric circuit as shown in Fig. 5, as follows: Oneterminal'of the lamp 26 is connected to the contact member 25, and theother terminal of the lamp 26 is connected to a wire 32 which leads toan electric battery 33. Leading from the battery 33 is a wire 34 whichis connected to the pin 29, thus completing the circuit through thespring 28 and contact plate or member 24, the circuit being normallyopen between the contact members 24 and 25. It will thus be seen thatwhen a coin descends through the receiver 8 and rests upon theprojection 15, the part 20 will be moved to the dot-anddash lineposition to complete the circuit and energize the signal 26: and thatwhen the member 14 is operated to release the coin, the spring 28 willreturn the part 20 to the full line position. and thus open the circuitand deenergize the signal 26. Thus the lighted lamp or signal 26 willindicate the presence of the coin upon the projection 15 1 within thereceiver 8.

The upper arm of the member 14 is connected to the rearward end of anejector 35, the forward portion of which extends through an opening inthe frame wall 6 and rests upon the floor 36 of a vertically-arrangedcoin or check receiver 37 which is secured on the wall 6. Extending fromthe forward end of the floor 36 to the forward frame wall 5 is adownwardly inclined chute 38. The receiver 37 is adapted to receive andcontain a stack of checks or coins 39; and the forward wall of thereceiver 37 has a discharge opening 40 therein directly in advance ofthe ejector plate 35 and through which the lowermost coin 39 may bedischarged into the upper portionof the chute 38 when the plate 35 ismoved forwardly. The coin, upon being discharged from the receiver 37,passes by gravity down through the chute 38 and out through-a slot 41 inthe wall 5 and on to a suitable table 42 supported by the wall 5 andfrom which the discharged coin may be removed by hand. It will thus bereadily understood that each time the member 14 is operated by hand todischarge a coin from the receiver 8, as previously explained, the plate35 will be operated thereby to discharge a coin from the receiver 37Mounted on the frame wall 6 is a register ing and counting device 43having a slotted operating arm 44 through which a screw 45 extends fromthe end of the upper arm of the member 14, whereby, each time the member14 is operated to eject coins from the receivers 8 and37, the device 43will be operated to register the same. Registering devices of thecharacter herein illustrated are common and well known.

My improved dispensing device is particularly adapted for use inconnection with what are known as special order machines used inrestaurants known as automats; and, when used in this connection, theframe or casing 4 forms part of a partition wall which separates thecustomer from the machine attendant. The purchaser of the special orderinserts one or more nickels or coins of other denominations, the samebeing the purchase price of the special order, into the slot 11 and intothe upper end of the receiver 8. The first inserted coin descendsthrough the receiver and rests upon the projection 15, and the followingcoins, when more than one is called for, descend through the receiverand rest upon one an other and upon the first coin. As the first coinreaches the projection 15, the coin engages the arm 22 and operates thepart 20 against the action of the spring 28 to move the contact member24 against the contact member 25 and thereby close the normally openelectriccircuit and light the signal lamp 26. The lighted lamp indicatesto the attendant that the customer has sent in an order by inserting thepurchase price thereof into the receiver 8; and the attendant, uponseeing the signal, looks into the receiver 8 to ascertain if theinserted coins are correct; and, upon finding them to be correct,operates the member 14 by hand to discharge the purchase price coinsfrom the projection 15 and to discharge a checkor coin 39 from thereceiver 37. The purchase price coins descend into the lock box 10 to besubsequently removed by the proper person in charge, and the check orcoin 39 from the receiver 37 descends through the chute 38 to the table42 and is removed therefrom by the customer. The attendants handpressure against the member 14 is removed and the springs 16 and 28return the member 14 and part 20, respectively, tonormal position,thereby opening the electric circuit between the contact members 24 and25 and leaving the parts in the normal posirestaurants of the automattype, by the attendant placing the special order into a suitable coin orcheck controlled dispensing device which is afterward opened by thecustomer with the aid of the coin or check 39 which he received from thetable 42.

The lamp 26 not only serves as a signal, as hereinbefore explained, butit also serves to light up the open side of the receiver 8 above thecoin supporting projection 15 to enable the attendant to readily seewhether or not the proper coin or coins have been placed therein; and tofurther aid the attendant in readily seeing the coins in the receiver 8,I provide the frame wall 6 with a projecting mirror 50 arranged at theproper angle with relation to the open side of the receiver to enablethe attendant to look down into the mirror and see the reflected coinsin the receiver 8.

I claim 1. The combination in a coin-controlled dispensing device,comprising a slotted gravity chute, of a manually movable pivoted memberand a coin actuated spring member, each having apart entering theslotted chute, one above the other, an electric circuit including asignal operated thereby, means to open and close said circuit, actuatedby said spring member when moved from normal position to release anddeliver a coin to said manually movable pivoted member, a supplementalcoin receiver, means controlling the discharge of coins therefrom, saidmeans being operatively connected to and actuated by said firstmentioned manually movable pivoted member whereby corresponding coins ortokens may be discharged from both of said receivers simultaneously.

2. The combination of a supporting frame, a coin receiver comprising aslotted gravity chute, a manually operable pivoted member having a partentering the slotted chute and operating to normally arrest the descentof the coin, and movable on its pivotal bearing to release and dischargethe coin, resilient means operating to restore said member to normalposition after being moved therefrom and released, a spring memberhaving a movable free end extending into the slotted chute in the pathof the coin above said coin-arresting pivoted member and movable fromnormal position by coin contact, to deliver the coin to saidcoinarresting pivoted member and to automatically return to normalposition'upon the passing of the coin therefrom, a supplemental coinreceiver, means controlling the discharge of coins therefrom, andconnecting mechanism between said means and said manually operablepivoted member whereby coins or tokens may be discharged from both ofsaid receivers simultaneously.

3. The combination of a supporting frame, a coin receiver comprising aslotted gravity chute, a pivoted member having a part entering theslotted chute and operating to normally arrest the descent of the coin,said member being manually movable on its pivotal bearing to release anddischarge the coin, a spring member having a movable free end interposedin the path of the coin above said coin-arresting pivoted member andmovable from normal position by coin contact, to deliver the coin tosaid coin-arresting pivoted member and to automatically return to normalposition upon the passing of the coin therefrom, means actuated by saidspring member operating to signalize the said movements thereof from andto normal position, and the passing of the coin therefrom to saidpivoted member, a supplemental coin re- -ceiver, means controlling thedischarge of coins therefrom, and connecting mechanism between saidmeans and said manually operable pivoted member whereby coins or OTTO JAEGER.

